Have you ever wondered what it would look like if your life was illustrated across a map? Uencounter.me, a new social geo-mapping site, allows people that option. The centralized focus of the application is the ‘My Encounters Map’, where you drop a pin on each location where you have lived, worked, or played.

Users identify streets where they grew up, schools they attended, places they have worked, activities they have engaged in such as sports or hobbies, and entertainment venues they have visited. With each pin, there is an option to post photos and engage in a discussion of that location.

What makes Uencounter.me unique is their focus on the people that were encountered along the way. How often have you thought about the teacher who encouraged you or the neighbor who was always so helpful? How many times have you wondered “whatever happened to….?” but were unable to locate them via major social avenues?

After entering a pin (uencounter calls these – encounterpoints), users have the option of creating an Encountergram or an Inquiry. An Encountergram is an expression of appreciation or gratitude – a note that tells the person in question that you are thinking about them, that they inspired you, or that they impacted your life in some positive way.

You may do this using a predefined option or in your own words. The Inquiry is a note that ‘inquires’ about someone you are curious about.

Did you meet someone during your travels who left you thinking long after you parted? Was something left unsaid or would you just like to know how they made out? Uencounter.me encourages users to post a note so that other users will read them. Testing the concept of ‘six degrees of separation‘ their theory is that someone reading the note may be able to lead users to one another.

The resulting encounter database is searchable by location, date, and keyword. Search and find functionality will grow proportionate to the universe of users. Each time a pin is placed, the application offers a list of ‘nearby encounters’ that are available to view – allowing for the discovery of a ‘shared encounter’.

An additional social aspect of uencounter.me is their unique concept of illustrating the commonalities you share with friends in terms of time and location. Users are encouraged to invite friends and family to create their own map, ‘link’ with them, and then to ‘overlay’ the maps onto one another.

This is an interesting feature that helps to identify when you have been in the same place at the same time and were unaware of the other’s presence.

Additionally, users can overlay the maps of any number or combination of their links – discovering common connections and bringing the ‘six degrees of separation’ to life.

The majority of uencounter.me is free to use although they offer valuable premium features for a minimal annual subscription that maximizes the user experience.